When we
arrived a nun was down on the shore with her school children, who
were busy catching shell-fish and generally merry-making. Obanjo
went ashore in the tender, and the holy sister kindly asked me, by
him, to come ashore and spend the night; but I was dead tired and
felt quite unfit for polite society after the long broiling hot day
and getting soaked by water that had washed on board.
We lay off Dongila all night, because of the tide. I lay off
everything, Dongila, canoe and all, a little after midnight. Obanjo
and almost all the crew stayed on shore that night, and I rolled
myself up in an Equetta cloth and went sound and happily asleep on
the bamboo staging, leaving the canoe pitching slightly. About
midnight some change in the tide, or original sin in the canoe,
caused her to softly swing round a bit, and the next news was that I
was in the water. I had long expected this to happen, so was not
surprised, but highly disgusted, and climbed on board, needless to
say, streaming. So, in the darkness of the night I got my
portmanteau from the hold and thoroughly tidied up. The next
morning we were off early, coasting along to Glass, and safely
arriving there, I attempted to look as unconcerned as possible, and
vaguely hoped Mr. Hudson would be down in Libreville; for I was
nervous about meeting him, knowing that since he had carefully
deposited me in safe hands with Mme. Jacot, with many injunctions to
be careful, that there were many incidents in my career that would
not meet with his approval. Vain hope! he was on the pier! He did
not approve! He had heard of most of my goings on.
This however in no way detracts from my great obligation to Mr.
Hudson, but adds another item to the great debt of gratitude I owe
him; for had it not been for him I should never have seen the
interior of this beautiful region of the Ogowe. I tried to explain
to him how much I had enjoyed myself and how I realised I owed it
all to him; but he persisted in his opinion that my intentions and
ambitions were suicidal, and took me out the ensuing Sunday, as it
were on a string.
CHAPTER XII. FETISH.
In which the Voyager attempts cautiously to approach the subject of
Fetish, and gives a classification of spirits, and some account of
the Ibet and Orunda.
Having given some account of my personal experiences among an
African tribe in its original state, i.e. in a state uninfluenced by
European ideas and culture, I will make an attempt to give a rough
sketch of the African form of thought and the difficulties of
studying it, because the study of this thing is my chief motive for
going to West Africa.
